1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to surgical methods and apparatus, and in particular to surgical methods and apparatus adapted for providing medicament pellets and the like, including radio-active seeds in recessed body tissue.
2. Description of the Background Art
The transurethral route employing a combination of endoscopy and radioactive seed implementation has been a well established treatment for prostatic carcinoma and is preferred as most prostatic carcinoma patients are in the geriatric age group.
As noted in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,280, a body of radioactive material, or seed, can be deposited in the prostate by the use of a biopsy needle inserted by the use of a cystoscope. This method, however, depended upon gravity and friction to rub the seed off into the tissue and, resultingly, the precise placement of the seed in the tissue could not be assured.
In that patent, the treatment method is implemented by the use of an elongated hollow sheath having an opening for retaining an obturator. The sheath and obturator are inserted into the urethra longitudinally through the penis. Once the sheath is suitably positioned, the obturator is removed and a tissue sampling device is inserted through the sheath. The physician causes the sampling device to pierce the urethra as the sampling device is guided into the prostate. The physician further inserts a digit into the rectum of the patient and uses the digit to guide the device to the appropriate location in the prostate for obtaining a biopsy.
The sampling device may also carry means for introducing medication interstitially into the prostate. This medication is usually in the form of radioactive seeds for treating prostinoma.
I have determined that the efficiency of the means for introducing medication into the prostate, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,280 by rubbing seeds off into the prostate, is low and does not fully assure the deposit of all of the seeds in specific desired locations. Successive punches had to be made to deposit the seeds and their relative position with respect ot each other could not be conclusively determined, causing radioactively "hot" or "cold" spots in the gland.
Additionally, there was no assurance that the seed had released itself from the device as desired.
In addition, there is a need, at times, for cauterizing the pierced tissue to prevent bleeding and the like resulting from the piercing of the tissue.